Planter.



' W. W. LOWE.

PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1911.

1,038,61 1 Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

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W. W. LOWE.

PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1911.

Patehted Sept. 17, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOOK 4P" CD WASHINGTON, D. C:

WALLACE W. LOWE, BYRON, GEORGIA.

PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 26, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

Serial No. 640,601.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, VVALLAcE W. Lowe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Byron, in the county of Houston and State of Georgia,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Planters, of which the following is'a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in seeders and planters, and it has for its primary object a simple and efficient agricultural implement of this character, the framework of which is so constructed and arranged that the hopper for the seeds may follow the inequalities of the ground, without regard to the depth at which the furrow opening blade is working, all irregularities of the ground being thereby compensated for.

With this and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device as seen on line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section as seen on line 14, Fig. 2, and, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the stopper members used for the reducing of the size of the seed-dropping opening in the dropping cylinder.

In carrying out my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which- 1 indicates a beam of the usual or any preferred type used inagricultural implements of this type, said beam having pivoted thereto adjacent its rear end, as shown at 2, the standards of an opening plow 3, and the free ends of the standards of said plow are enlarged, as shown at 4, and provided with a plurality of openings 5. These openings are arranged in arcuate alinement about the pivot 2 as a center and are adapted to receive a bolt 6 passing through the beam 1, upon the threaded end of which bolt is engaged a nut, and it will be seen that said plow may be disposed at various angles with respect to the ground and the beam by changing the position of the bolt 6 so as to extend through a diflferent opening 5. Secured to said standards of the plow 3 below its pivotal point 2, are the forwardly projecting arms or extensions of a metallic frame 7, which frame is substantially rectangular in design and disposed below and partly beyond the rear end of the beam 1. Secured to each of the side bars of said frame, are the lower ends of a pair of vertically extending bars 8, the bars in each pair being spaced from one another and each pair of bars being in substantial parallel relation with one another, and the upper ends of said bars are secured to the arms 9 which extend upwardly and out wardly from opposite sides 'of the beam- 1 to form the handle members 10 for the device. These arms 8, it will be seen, form bracing members for the handle members and any other desired bracing means may also be provided, if desired. Also secured to the side bars of the frame 7, are the spring standards 11 which are bent adjacent their ends, as shown at 12, and provided on their free ends with the small covering plows 13.

. Loosely mounted in the frame 7 and guided within the vertical bars 8 on the side bars of the frame7 and the arms 9, is a hopper 14, said hopper having its rear wall inclined inwardly from its upper to its lower end, as shown at 15, whereby the downward movement of said hopper within the frame 7 may be limited. Mounted on each of the side faces of the hopper 14: is a vertical strip or bar 16, each of which extends to a point substantially at the lower ends of the sides of said hopper, and rotatably mounted in the lower ends of said strips or bars 16, is a shaft or axle 17, said shaft having keyed or otherwise removably secured thereto, a cylinder 18, which cylinder is of a width substantially the same as the length of the lower portion of the hopper M.- The one side wall' of the hopper 14:, as shown in Fig. 1, is offset, as shown at 19, thereby slightly reducing the area of the hopper at the bottom thereof, and moimted on said axle or shaft17 between the wall which is offset and the outer vertical strip 16 secured to said wall, is a supporting and driving wheel 20, said wheel being so mounted on the axle 17 as to rotate the latter when said wheel is rotated and in position to be readily removed when desired.

rotated with the rotation of the axle on shaft 17, the opening 21 will receive the contents of the hopper 14 to drop. the same on the ground over which the device is traveling. In order to decrease the diameter of the opening 21 so as to allow a lesser amount of seed or thelilie to be dropped at each complete rotation of the cylinder 18', I have. provided a sleeve member or bushing 22 which is adapted to. be entered within the opening 21 and fit snugly therein. When such a sleeve member has, been properly positioned within the opening, the effective diameter of said opening will be correspondingly reduced, and should it be desired to reduce the opening still more, additional bushings. of smaller boremay be provided and applied in the same manner to accomplish the result desired. In forming this hopper 14:, I do. not provide the. usual flat bottom with an opening therein for the insertion therethrongh of a feed-dropping mechanism, but provide an improved bottom which comprises a metallic plate 23: riveted or otherwise secured to. the inner faceofthe front wall of the hopper, and said plate extends the full width thereof, being bent at its lower end, as shown at 24, to. extend partially over the cylinder 18 to. form a shield or the like therefor. This. bent portion 2a, therefore, forms. a partial bottom for the hopper and I have also provided an additionalmeans for the completion. of the bottom thereof, and to this extent, I provide a strip 25 which is secured to. the inner face of the rear wall of said hopper adjacentit-s lower end, said strip having the face thereof which-rests. against the wall of the hopper, flat, while the opposite or outer face thereof is inclined or beveled. at two angles to. form a double inclined face, the intersection of the faces being contiguous; to. the cylinder 18 and in the same horizontal'i plane as the highest peripheral point of the cylinder 18. As stated, the member 25'. is a strip extending the full width of the rear wall of the hopper, but if desired, the same may be formed integral therewith, and it will be seen that when positioned, as. described, the lower of the two inclined faces is disposed in. such close relationto. the cylinder, that the same may be said to. be substantially tangent thereto. By. so. forming: the bottom of the hopper in. this manner, the usual wasting of the seed from the hopper by escapethereof between the crevices formed between the seed-dropping mechanisms. and

the bottom of the hopper, will be obviated. It will further be appreciated that should it he. possiblefor any of the seed to have gained entrance to the small space formed between the. one face of the member 25 and the outer periphery of the cylinder 18, the same will ,be prevented from dropping therethrough 10 to. steady the device, and at the same time, retains the reins of the animals propelling the same. As the device is driven forwardly, the plow 3 will open the ground, accordingly as the same is adjusted and the wheel 20 will be rotated to correspondingly rot-ate the aXle17. and cylinder 18. As the cylinder rotates, the recess 21 therein will receive a limited and predetermined amount of seed from within said hopper to. drop and distribute the same in the furrow formed by the opening plow 3, andthe covering plows, 13 which extend a short distance. to the rear of the. hopper will cover said seed after the same has been dropped in the furrow. During the operation of the device, it will beappreciated that considerable rough groundw-ill be met. and ofttimes large stones; and other obstruct-ions found. to. obstruct the path ofthe device, and in order to. allow the device to move over these rough portions of ground and the obstructions which may be met, without affecting the beam and the adjunct-ive parts thereon, I have loosely molmted the hopper 14c carrying the supporting and driving wheel thereon, within the frame 7 which isindirectly carried on said beam 1. Thus, the support ing and driving wheel 20. and the hopper 1 1 may readily yield and adjust themselves to the. irregularities of the ground without affecting the other parts. of the device, and it will be seen that in the vertical movement of the hopper, the same. is guided within; the

frame-work formed by the frame 'Z, the

"bars 8 and the arms 9. Should it be desired at any time during the operation of the device to decrease the amount of seed which'is being deposited at each complete rotation of the cylinder, the sleeve 22 may be entered: in the opeing 21 of said cylinder to reduce the diameter of the recess, and: furthermore,

should it be desired i302 vary the distance between the points where the seed is being deposited, the wheel 20, of the size shown in the drawings may be removed and another wheel of larger or smaller size substituted therefor, it being understood that the offset portion 192 in the side of said hopper is provided; at a suflicient distance above the bottom thereof toaccommodate the'various sized wheels.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A planter of the character described, including a draft beam, plow supporting standards pivotally connected to said beam for angular adjustment thereon, means for holding said standards in difierent adjusted positions relative to the beam, a furrow opening plow carried by said standards, a hopper supporting frame embodying side bars which are formed with forward extensions pivotally connected to the standards, a wheel supported hopper vertically movable in said frame, the frame being provided, in connection with the hopper, with means for limiting the free downward movement of the hopper in the frame, and handles connected to the beam and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom and operatively connected to the frame.

2. A, planter of the character described, including a draft beam, standards pivotally connected to said beam for angular adjustment thereon, means for holding said standards in adjusted positions on the beam, a furrow opening plow carried by said standards, handles connected to said beam and extending rearwardly therefrom, a hopper supporting frame embodying side bars which are formed with forward extensions pivotally connected to the standards below the pivotal point of the latter, vertical bars secured at their lower ends to the side bars of the frame and at their upper ends to the handles, and a wheel supported hopper mounted in said frame and vertically movable therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE W. LOWE.

Witnesses:

HERBERT J. J AooBI, CHARLES M. BIRCKHEAD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

